Amaranthine

16: Jamais Vu

"IT'S DANGEROUS TO BE OUT AT NIGHT, YOU KNOW."

I turned to frown at the brown haired man. I hadn't noticed him until he'd spoken. It was strange how silently he'd approached me. His dark brown hair pulled away from his face and feathered out into spikes at the back of his head. His short beard was full and well trimmed. I cautiously eyed the man's larger frame. I couldn't pinpoint the cause of my discomfort, but something felt strange about his aura.

"Are you waiting for someone?" He asked.

I frowned. "I don't think it's any of your business whether I'm waiting for someone or not."

The man chuckled. "My apologies," he said. "I was simply concerned for you. I insist on walking you home if you have no one else to accompany you. It's a gentleman's duty."

"Your offer is kind, but I am waiting for someone." I said politely. "I don't wish to waste your time. Please walk on."

"It's not a waste of time at all," the man said. "Would you allow me to wait here with you until your friend shows up? It wouldn't sit well with my conscience to let you wait alone out here. Haven't you heard? There's a killer out here who's been murdering girls who are alone at night? Jack the Ripper is what he's called. It would be a shame if you ran into him, wouldn't it."

Something clicked with me all of a sudden. "It would," I agreed, carefully narrowing my eyes at the man. "But I don't suppose I've already met him, have I?"

". . . Well aren't you a smart one," the man said with a grin. He casually reached into the inside pocket of his jacket, but I knew that whatever he was reaching for was something dangerous. His voice deepened as he dropped his gentlemanly façade. "I can'tI let you live when you've figured it out. Not that I had the intention of letting you live anyways."

His movements were fast as he suddenly whipped the knife from his jacket and tried to slash at me. I managed to dodge the first stab of his knife thanks to pure luck. It was my nerves that made me jump away from the man the moment he'd moved.

I quickly stepped backwards in an attempt to get more space between us, but Jack the Ripper advanced just as quickly and lunged forward with the knife. This time, I wasn't fast enough.

The knife sliced into my left side, entering a few inches below my heart before sliding diagonally down to the top of my hip bone. I yelped in pain and my first thought was the push away my assailant. Jack the Ripper let me push him away as he chuckled in amusement.

"You're done for," he said. "You put up more of a fight than any of the others I've killed. But you're still just a weak girl."

As he spoke, I examined my wound. I supposed I was lucky that the knife had somehow missed my vital organs, but it still hurt. The left side of my dress was already dyed red. I reached to cover the wound with my right hand, hissing as the stinging throb of pain turned to a burning sensation. This was not good. I would have to be careful about how I moved. Jack the Ripper was fast and I doubted I could dodge his attacks without aggravating my wound.

Jack the Ripper raised his arm to deal the finishing blow and there was nothing I could do to defend myself other than grabbing the man's wrist in an attempt to stop him. Of course it did nothing to truly help me, but I'd made him pause. He laughed and muttered something about my weakness again. He was underestimating me and letting his guard down. I used that to my advantage.

I quickly disarmed the man, slipping out from in front of him and sliding to the side so I could twist his arm. The man yelled and quickly broke free, but the knife hit the stone street with a clatter, bouncing and skidding to the side.